6. Toronto International Film Festival ¿ Toronto, Canada

Sonia Recchia/Getty Images

The Toronto International Film Festival, which premiered in 1976 as an independent film festival, has grown to become one of the most important and influential festivals in North America, and is the leading public film festival in the world. Year after year, works from the Toronto festival have gone on to become Academy Award winners. This exciting and extensive festival takes place in the beginning of September (this year from Sept 6 to 16), and close to 350,000 attendees head to Canada's largest metropolis in the hopes of viewing what will be the next classic piece of cinematic art. Aside from putting Canada on the map as a competitor in the global film industry, Toronto's festival has become a launching pad for the success of new films released every fall.

The Toronto International Film Festival, which premiered in 1976 as an independent film festival, has grown to become one of the most important and influential festivals in North America, and is the leading public film festival in the world. Year after year, works from the Toronto festival have gone on to become Academy Award winners. This exciting and extensive festival takes place in the beginning of September (this year from Sept 6 to 16), and close to 350,000 attendees head to Canada's largest metropolis in the hopes of viewing what will be the next classic piece of cinematic art. Aside from putting Canada on the map as a competitor in the global film industry, Toronto's festival has become a launching pad for the success of new films released every fall. (Sonia Recchia/Getty Images)

The Toronto International Film Festival, which premiered in 1976 as an independent film festival, has grown to become one of the most important and influential festivals in North America, and is the leading public film festival in the world. Year after year, works from the Toronto festival have gone on to become Academy Award winners. This exciting and extensive festival takes place in the beginning of September (this year from Sept 6 to 16), and close to 350,000 attendees head to Canada's largest metropolis in the hopes of viewing what will be the next classic piece of cinematic art. Aside from putting Canada on the map as a competitor in the global film industry, Toronto's festival has become a launching pad for the success of new films released every fall.